Beech

Beech bark was thought to be deadly to snakes while beech tea, made with lard, was a sure remedy for rheumatism. In Norway and Sweden the sawdust of beechwood used to be boiled in water, baked, and then mixed with flour to form bread.

Beech trees do not produce good mast (the encased nuts) every year but in favourable conditions an abundant mast may be produced every five to eight years. In times of famine the nuts have been eaten, and in France they have been roasted and served as a substitute for coffee. However, the nuts are very small and collecting and peeling sufficient for a meal is very arduous. The nuts, when well ripened, yield 17–20% of a non-drying oil which has been used for cooking and as a fuel for oil lamps. It has also been used as a salad oil and to make butter and, two centuries ago, beechnut butter was made commercially from British beech mast. The mast should be gathered as soon as it falls, before it is taken by squirrels.